Awards

Biennial IIDA Mid-America Awards recognize four Hufft projects

It was an exciting 48 hours at Hufft. The night after five projects earned recognition in the annual AIA Kansas City Design Excellence program, we added four more awards during the biennial IIDA Mid-America Awards.

The MADA program honors “the exceptional quality of design work” within the Mid-America Chapter, with a more specific focus on interior design. Terraced House, DeBruce Hall, BlakeSt. and Nickel & Suede headquarters all took home accolades that evening.

Terraced House received the Gold Award in the Residential/Multi-family category. Perched proudly over Table Rock Lake near Branson, Mo., this family home takes full advantage of its vista, and the natural surroundings. It feels at home on the inclined site and instills a sense of ease immediately upon arrival. Exterior spaces spill off main living spaces, extending the interior out into the open and blurring the boundary between inside and out. The interior is natural and warm, designed intentionally for generations of family members and friends to enjoy varied access to the serene surrounding.

Another Gold Award-winning project, the new Paul & Linda DeBruce Hall on The Kansas City Art Institute’s campus interfaces with the campus community, neighboring residents and nearby museums. A prominent portal entry that speaks to the historic and unique front doors found throughout the neighborhood. Classrooms and administrative spaces are placed around an airy atrium, connecting students and staff with each other and the landscape. Building from the inspiration of classrooms in a garden, a courtyard garden is a place of relaxation and inspiration, complementing the interior work and focus spaces.

In Hospitality/Retail, BlakeSt. also took home the top Gold Award. The health and wellness-focused social club in Bentonville, Ark., is grounded in the simple idea that progress, in any form, happens when we share the load. The interior concept – a partnership with our friends at FODA – is a compilation of spaces programmed for every activity. The club is designed for members to flow through at their own pace, where community workshops, dinner with friends, unwinding with a record or early morning workouts can all happen with ease at the social club. Furnishings, colors and objects were carefully selected with the hope of evoking a specific mood, memory and sense of place.

Nickel & Suede’s headquarters just outside of Kansas City also received recognition from IIDA Mid-America, earning the Silver Award in the Corporate-Small category. After outgrowing their previous space, the top priority for Nickel & Suede’s new headquarters was creating an office that captures the brand’s aesthetic and allows for functional scale alongside the company. The office design is inspired by the Nickel & Suede “bundle” retail packaging. Support pieces, like the box, soft surfaces and outer ribbon wrap, are timeless, neutral and minimal.

Our thanks goes to the jury members – Angie Lee from FXCollaborative, Jon Otis of Object Agency, Scott Hierlinger from NELSON Worldwide – and IIDA Mid-America awards committee.